I had a great experience working with Brenda from NOA this fall. I came to Brenda as I had to complete a service learning project for my class assignment. Brenda had told me that NOA was in the need of a medical outreach advocate to educate the local medical community about NOA's programs and services, and distribute domestic violence screening tools to doctors, dentists, and other medical facilities. My experience at NOA was greater than what I had expected. If my work can help to save just one woman from domestic violence I will be over-joyed. I plan to continue helping NOA with whatever I can and however I can.
I interned at NOA from June to August. I had no idea what to expect and was able to design the internship to my needs of experience with the help of the volunteer coordinator. Once I started working at the shelter, I ran my own support group session twice a week with the victims living there. We covered all different topics and I just loved the freedom of being on my own, learning about myself and others as I went. The shelter manager was more than helpful in answering any questions I had as well as the Children's Advocate. I experienced all different emotions from the ladies living at the shelter and I witnessed all the effort that is put in daily in helping these ladies' and their children's lives get better. NOA is an excellent organization that is making a huge difference in this Dahlonega community and I am proud to have had the experience interning there.
I am excited to share my experience with you today. I am a Sales Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics and I recently had the honor of visiting NOA's location and spending the afternoon with some of the ladies there pampering them and giving them a facial. They had a ball. Mary Kay has a charitable foundation that distributes grants to domestic violence shelters around the U.S. and last year, I was thrilled to know that NOA had recently received one of those grants! So being at their location that summer afternoon made it all that much more special. Together we were working to make a difference to women who needed us most. I am truly blessed! Cathy Crook Independent Sales Director Mary Kay Cosmetics
A wonderful place to volunteer. All the employees are so caring about not only the clients, but the volunteers. I really feel like a make a difference (even a little one) in the community working with NOA. The employees go out of their way to make the volunteers feel important and to make sure you truly like what you are doing in the organization - a very important component to a volunteer.
My experience in the 8 + years working with the children at NOA very rewarding one, and found that they are just looking for validation, love, kindness, respect, and the opportunity to be a kid again. They also want the burden that is on their shoulders taken away. There is an old saying “Children are to be seen not heard”, for the children that I’ve seen come through NOA’s doors, this saying does not apply for they need to be heard and start healing from within.